Aim. The role of tongue posture and swallowing pattern in the etiology of dentofacial abnormalities has not yet been fully explained. Mainly due to the lack of studies that would longitudinally monitor their physiological changes during the period of growth and development. The aim was to evaluate the changes in the tongue posture and swallowing pattern during the transition from deciduous to the mixed dentition, to determine whether the eruption of the incisors affects the swallowing pattern and whether there is a connection between the tongue posture and its function during swallowing. Hypotheses. H1 The degree of tooth growth of the intercanine sector affects the position of the tongue in a relaxed posture. H2 During the transition from deciduous to mixed dentition, the swallowing pattern in children shifts from visceral to somatic. H3 There is a correlation between tongue posture and the function of the tongue.
Subjects and methods. A group of 57 subjects (30 boys, 27 girls), aged 5.9 ± 0.5 years, with normal occlusion, no sucking habits, no history of trauma or orthodontic treatment were included. Tongue posture and swallowing pattern were determined clinically and ultrasonographically (US), by assessing tongue posture in a physiological resting position and the swallowing pattern during a spontaneous act of swallowing. A convex probe (RAB 2-5 MHz, GE Healthcare Austria Gmbh & CoOG, Austria) was used for the ultrasonographic registration of the tongue posture and swallowing. Tongue posture was ultrasonographically determined in a 3D mode, while swallowing was registered in a simultaneous B and M mode. To assess the effect of the eruption of incisors, the swallowing pattern and tongue posture ultrasonograms were clustered according to dentition into the deciduous (DD), early mixed (EMD) and intermediate mixed (IMD) dentition timepoints.
Results. The highest prevalence of tongue posture on the palate was present in the EMD, while the prevalence of somatic swallowing pattern was highest in the IMD, however without statistically significant differences. No statistically significant association between the dentition period and tongue posture was found, however a significant association was found between swallowing pattern and tongue posture. In addition, it was found that tongue posture on the mouth floor statistically significantly increases the risk of visceral swallowing pattern (OR=5.020), while a prolonged phase IIa decreases the risk of a visceral swallowing pattern occurance (OR=0.071).
Conclusions. There were no statistically significant changes in the swallowing pattern and tongue posture, during the transitional period of growth and development of the orofacial area, when physiologically an anterior interincisal gap appeares. However, a significant relationship between swallowing pattern and tongue posture, in subjects with normal occlusion, regardless of the period of dentition, was detected.
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